Collator

ABSTRACT

A collator intended for use with a high speed photocopy machine for automatic assembly of copies of a multi-page document including a conveyor and tray assembly with respective deflectors and in which passage of a copy sheet into a given tray serves to trigger the next deflector in the series. Means are provided for utilizing a hiatus in the flow of copy sheets from the photocopy machine to achieve automatic reset of a commutator to an initial reference condition to begin a new collating series. It is one of the important features of the invention that means are provided for detecting a condition of incipient jamming and for promptly and automatically disabling the conveyor and shutting off the flow of incoming copy sheets from the photocopy machine. One means for detection of an incipient jamming condition includes the provision of sensors along the conveyor path at a spacing which corresponds to the gaps between the sheets flowing in the conveyor path. Failure of one sensor to respond simultaneously with the others following passage of each copy sheet, indicating that the sheets are out of step with one another, produces automatic shut down. Also, failure of a sheet to pass promptly and completely into one of the receiving trays, a prolific source of jamming in conventional collators, is sensed to produce automatic shut down before a jam can occur. In this connection it is one of the features of the invention to utilize a single light source and photocell, servicing as many as 20 or more trays, for both commutation and jam detection. One of the features of the invention is the novel utilization, for jam detection, of a timer circuit which is constantly and repeatedly reset by the sensors under normal operating conditions but which, upon time-out, triggers the shutdown mode.

[ COLLATOR [75] Inventors: Stanley J. Bolsenga, Evanston;

Stephen S. Kotow, Franklin Park; Henry G. Renter, Glenview; Donald J.Volante, Chicago, all of ill.

[73] Assignee: Apeco Corporation, Evanston, Ill.

[22] Filed: Apr. 3 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 457,440

[52] US. Cl 271/173; 271/259 [51] Int. 8651-1 31/24; B65H 43/02 [58]Field of Search 271/64, 173, 259; 270/58; 340/259 [56] References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS 2,661,209 12/1953 McGalliard 271/173 2,946,9927/1960 Broido 340/259 3,618,936 ll/l97l 271/173 3,649,006 2/1970 271/1733,744,790 7/1973 Hoffman 27l/l73 3,774,906 11/1973 Fagan et al. 27l/64[57] ABSTRACT A oollator intended for use with a high speed photocopymachine for automatic assembly of copies of a 1 Dec. 23, 1975 multi-pagedocument including a conveyor and tray assembly with respectivedeflectors and in which passage of a copy sheet into a given tray servesto trigger the next deflector in the series. Means are provided forutilizing a hiatus in the flow of copy sheets from the photocopy machineto achieve automatic reset of a commutator to an initial referencecondition to begin a new collating series. It is one of the importantfeatures of the invention that means are provided for detecting acondition of incipient jamming and for promptly and automaticallydisabling the conveyor and shutting off the flow of incoming copy sheetsfrom the photocopy machine. One means for detection of an incipientjamming condition includes the provision of sensors along the conveyorpath at a spacing which corresponds to the gaps between the sheetsflowing in the conveyor path. Failure of one sensor to respondsimultaneously with the others following passage of each copy sheet,indicating that the sheets are out of step with one another, producesautomatic shut down. Also, failure of a sheet to pass promptly andcompletely into one of the receiving trays, a prolific source of jammingin conventional collators, is sensed to produce automatic shut downbefore a jam can occur. In this connection it is one of the features ofthe invention to utilize a single light source and photocell, servicingas many as 20-or more trays, for both commutation and jam detection. Oneof the features of the invention is the novel utilization, for jamdetection, of a timer circuit which is constantly and repeatedly resetby the sensors under norfnal operating conditions but which, upontime-out, triggers the shutdown mode.

2 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet10f73,927,878

U.S. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 2 of7 3,927,878

US. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet 3 of? 3,927,878

US. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 7 Sheet 4 of7 3,927,878

US. Patent Dec. 23, 1975 Sheet7of7 3,927,878

COLLATOR The tendency in office photocopiers has been to go to higherand higher speed, particularly for machines which are intended forproducing multiple copies of a multiple page document. Such a high speedmachine, capable of producing copies at the rate of more than 60 aminute, using flash techniques, is disclosed in Newcomb U.S. Pat. No.3,815,990 issued on June II, 1974. To fully achieve the advantages ofhigh speed operation it is necessary to use a collator, but collators ofconventional design have been highly susceptible to jamming. It will beunderstood that when a jam does occur it is much more serious at highspeed because of the rapid and destructive pile-up of sheets and thepossibility of breaking or deforming some critical mechanical element.

It is, accordingly, the primary object of the present invention toprovide a collator which is capable of detecting, while still inincipient state, those conditions which are found to lead to a jammingsituation, with prompt shutdown so the condition may be corrected. Morespecifically it is an object to provide means for insuring that thecopies to be collated, and flowing from a photocopy machine, are in aprecise and evenly spaced sequence, with uniform and well defined gapsbetween adjacent copies thereby to insure that the sheets can bereliably diverted into successive trays. Moreover, it is an object ofthe present invention to provide novel means for insuring that eachsheet which is diverted into a collecting tray passes promptly andcompletely into the tray into a position well clear of the followingsheets. In this way the two conditions which are responsible for almostall of the failures of a collating machine are detected in the incipientstages to produce automatic shutdown without any care or attention onthe part of the operator. Shutdown occurs at a stage when the conditionis easily corrected without loss or copy sheets and before any wedgingor crushing of copies can occur.

It is a more specific object of the present invention to provide acollator in which a sensor at a receiving tray serves to index acommutator switch so that the next copy is deposited in the next trayuntil there is a hiatus in the flow, whereupon the switch is snappedinto a reference starting condition to begin a new commutating series.It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide acollator which does not require any presetting by the operator toestablish the length of a collation sequence, with the possibility ofthe collator s getting out of step. Nor is it necessary to provide anyinstruction to the collator by means of a wired connection from the copysetting knob on the associated photocopy machine.

It is a more detailed object to provide means for establishing apredetermined shutdown sequence which occurs after a period of non-useor upon pressing the stop" button with assurance that any copies intransit will be cleared from the machine It is a still further object ofthe present invention to provide a collator which may be close coupledto a high speed photocopy machine and which includes provision fordiverting copies within the latter upon occur rence of an incipientjamming condition, but which is otherwise independent of the photocopymachine and thus may be successfully used with high speed photocopymachines of radically different designs on the current market.

Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a collatorwhich, notwithstanding all of the above, is nevertheless of simple andinexpensive construction, which is inherently long lived and maintenancefree.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponreading the attached detailed description and upon reference to thedrawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collator and associated photocopymachine embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view, with top cover removed, looking along line 3-3 inFIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view, with front cover removed, taken alongline 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 3a is a horizontal section taken along the line 3a3a of FIG. 3.

FIG. 3b is a section taken along the line 3b-3b of FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevation showing the registered couplingbetween the collator and photocopy machine.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevation showing the construction of thediverters used at the lips of the respective trays.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the conveyor belt and vacuum assemblywith portions being broken away.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary top view of a typical diverter actuator viewedalong the line 7 7 in FIG. 5.

FIGS. 8a-8c, taken together, form a schematic control diagram employedin the present machine.

FIG. 8d is a simplified diagram of a typical timer used in the abovecircuit.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the developed conveyor path and the sensorpositions as related to the gaps between adjacent sheets.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferredembodiment, it will be understood that we do not intend to be limited tothe particular embodiment shown but intend, on the contrary, to coverthe various alternative and equivalent forms of the invention includedwithin the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Turning now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1-3, there isshown a typical photocopy machine 20 of a type capable of producingmultiple copies of a succession of original documents at a high rate ofspeed on the order of, say, one copy per second. Reference may be madeto the above-mentioned Newcomb application for a disclosure of such amachine. Superimposed upon the photocopy machine illustrated in FIG. 1is an operator assist" mechanism 21 on which a stack of originaldocuments may be placed, for example the pages of a multi-page booklet,the sheets being fed automatically to a transparent platen where theoriginal sheet is retained long enough to expose the desired number ofcopies, following which the sheet is discharged into a collector 22 forremoval. The illus tratcd machine is of the type in which the individualcopy sheets are severed from a supply roll and indtvidu ally, but insuccession, charged, exposed, developed and fixed, the fixed sheetsbeing discharged at a discharge opening 23 which is located near the topof the machine at its left-hand side (see FIGS. 3 and 4). In accordancewith the present invention the photocopy machine is preferably of thetype which is capable of diverting the flow of copy sheets from theregular discharge opening into an auxiliary collector tray. Thus,referring to FIG. 4, the final conveyor on which the copy sheet istransferred upwardly, indicated at 25, feeds the sheet between a pair ofdriven rollers 26. Arranged above the rollers 26 is a diverter 27connected to a solenoid 28 and which, during normal operation of themachine, occupies the dotted position so that copies are directed to theleft into a pair of expeller rollers 29 which eject the copies laterallythrough the discharge opening 23. As will be described, the solenoid 28is connected in the circuit of the collator so as to be normallyenergized, but when the solenoid is deenergized, the deflector 27discharges the photocopies, instead, into an auxiliary collector tray30. For this purpose the solenoid is provided with a return spring 31which, when the solenoid is deenergized, shifts the diverter 27 to thefull line position in which the sheets are directed to the right througha pair of auxiliary expeller rollers 32 and into the collector tray 30.

The photocopy machine, it will be understood, has a start button 33 anda stop button 34. The present collator system, in addition to making useof the diverter 27 within the photocopy machine, controls the circuitwhich is actuated by the stop button 34 so that the collator is capable,under certain circumstances, of automatically turning off the copyingmachine to which it is connected.

Turning next to the structural aspects of the collator, indicated at 40,it will be noted (FIG. 4) that it includes an inlet opening 41 which,when the machines are coupled side by side, registers with the dischargeopening 23 of the photocopy machine. Because of the functionalintegration of the photocopy machine and the collator it is, of course,desirable that the two units be mechanically coupled together in a waywhich will insure that the discharge opening of the first machine is inregister with the.inlet opening of the second, as illustrated in FIGS. 3and 4; for example, a suitable latch, such as that indicated at L inFIG. 3, may be employed. The sheets entering the inlet opening 41 aredriven, by the expeller rollers 29 in the photocopy machine, through apair of wire guides 42 which define a curved path into engagement with aconveyor 50. The conveyor serves to convey the copies along a verticallyelongated, U-shaped path, the copies flowing along the "downside" 51,about a 180 turnaround 52, and then vertically upward along the upside"53. The copies conducted upwardly on the conveyor are diverted, on acommutated basis, into respective receiving trays. Prior to reference tothe tray assembly and diverters, more detailed attention may be given tothe conveyor.

In accordance with one of the aspects of the invention the conveyor isin the form of a hollow rectangular vacuum box (FIG. 6) which issurrounded by a series of endless transport belts 55 verticallyextending and spaced edge to edge. The belts are trained about a pair ofrollers 56 at the top and about a drum 57 at the bottom, the drum thusserving as a turnaround to cause the copy sheets to reverse theirdirection. The drum, and the belts which engage it, are power driven bya drive 60 which includes a pulley 61, a belt 62 and pulley 63, thelatter being rotated by an electric motor 64. It will be understood thatthe speed of the motor and the diameter of the rotating elements aresuch that the belt speed is nominally the same as the speed at whichcopies are ejected from the photocopy machine.

For the purpose of causing the copy sheets to adhere to the belts, ports65 are formed on the face of the box in the regions between the belts,and means are provided for evacuating the box to a degree sufficient toinsure reliable transport. It will be understood that the opposite sideof the box is similarly ported. For evacuating the box a centrifugalvacuum pump 66 is used, driven by a motor 67 and having an inlet duct68. To insure that the sheets are guided into close engagement with thebelts, a set of idler rollers 71 (see FIGS. 3 and 3a) are used. Spacedslightly away from the belts are vertical guide wires 72. At the lowerend of the conveyor, in the region where the sheet leaves the region ofvacuum, auxiliary rollers 73 are provided (FIG. 3b). The copy sheet isconformed to the drum by a set of curved guide wires 74 and the leadingedge of the sheet is fed into a second set of auxiliary rollers 75. Thisinsures that the leading edge of the sheet is again subjected to vacuumon the back, or upside, of the box for intimate contact with the belts.

The the extreme upper end of the conveyor idler rollers 76, physicallythe same as rollers 71, assist in propelling any sheet remaining onn thebelt upwardly between guide wires 77 and expeller roller 78 into anoverflow compartment 79. Means (not shown) are provided for driving theexpeller rollers at copy speed.

in carrying out the invention we provide, along the upside 53 of theconveyor, a tray assembly 80 which is formed of a vertically stackedtier of shallow, copy receiving trays which may, in a practical case, betwenty in number; however, only the first two of these trays 81, 82,have been given a reference numeral. The trays are compactly integratedinto a light boxlike frame which includes vertical members notched atregular intervals. The trays are accessable for individual emptyingthrough a window" 86 formed in the front wall of the collator housing.During normal operation the trays are close coupled to the conveyor sothat the lips thereof, typically indicated at 91, 92, extend close tothe conveyed sheets.

For the purpose of diverting copies arriving in a closely spaced seriesinto respective ones of the trays, each tray is provided, at its lip,with a deflector which is actuated selectively, and in sequence, todirect one of the copies of the series into the corresponding tray.Typical deflectors shown at 101, 102 cooperate with lips 91, 92. Takingthe deflector 101 by way of example, as shown in FIGS. 3b, 7 and 5, itincludes a trans versely extending shaft 103 having a stop member 104and a series of axially spaced deflector elements or fingers 105. Thedeflector shaft is urged into nondeflecting position by a spring 106.For the purpose of rotating the deflector into deflecting position, asolenoid 107 is provided which is coupled to the shaft by means of alink 108 of light construction. it will be apparent, then, that when thesolenoid 107 is energized, tension on the link 108 rotates the shaft 103so that all of the deflecting fingers are rotated into the positionillustrated in FIG. 5, thereby engaging the leading edge of the sheet atspaced points and camming the leading edge away from the conveyor sothat it strikes the lip 91 and passes, along a downwardly curving path,into the tray 81 where the sheet is deposited on top of copy sheetswhich have been previously collected. FIG. 5 shows that the tray lipshave side walls, which have, for simplicity, been omitted in FIG. 3.

Similar deflector assemblies are provided, one for each-tray,constructed in the same way. By actuating the deflectors successively itwill be understood that successive copies forming a series of identicalsheets will be deposited in the successive trays, beginning with thefirst, the structure being capable of extension to include any number oftrays.

Since the primary features of the present invention have to do with thescheme of control, reference will next be made to the schematic controldiagram which is set forth in composite FlGS. 8a-8c. Power is derivedfrom an AC power source via a power plug 110 which supplies lines111,112. For adjusting the voltage of the AC lines an auto transformer113 is used. The conveyor drive motor 64 and the motor 67 which drivesthe vacuum pump both receive current from the AC lines. Connected acrossthe same lines are a twelve volt AC power supply 1 14, which energizeslow voltage AC lines 115, 116, and a twelve volt DC power supply 117which energizes low voltage DC lines 118, 119.

ln accordance with the present invention a stepper switch is providedfor commutating the solenoid coils 107 which actuate the deflectors,with the stepper switch being forwardly stepped by impulses from asensor located at the lips of the trays so that passage of a copy sheetinto a tray causes the stepper switch to advance one step with theresult that the next copy sheet is diverted into the next tray in theseries.

Referring to FIG. 80, the stepper switch 130, which is diagrammaticallyshown, includes a ratchet wheel 131 having ratchet teeth 132 which areengaged by a ratchet 133 actuated by a stepping coil, or solenoid, 135and to which is connected a return spring 134. Retrograde movement iscontrolled by a keeper pawl 136. The ratchet wheel 131 has a movingcontact or wiper 137 which steppingly engages a series of contacts 138.Current to actuate the connected solenoids 107 is supplied through astepper input lead 139.

In accordance with the invention, means are provided for directing alight beam adjacent the lips of the receiving trays in a position to becut by a photocopy flowing into any one of the trays. A photocell isprovided for receiving the beam and for pulsing the stepping coil 135.Thus referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, a light source 140 is mounted at thelower end of the tray assembly for directing a narrow, pencil-like beamof light of high intensity, indicated at 141, through registeringopenings 142 in the lips of the trays, with the beam being received atthe top of the tray assembly at a photocell 143. It is one of thefurther features of the invention that the same beam of light whichserves to pulse the stepping switch serves also as a sensor to detecttardy or incomplete passage of a copy sheet into any one of thereceiving trays, thereby to detect a condition of incipient jamming toshut down the conveyor. Attention will first be given to the steppingcircuit which includes the photocell, and the manner in which it iscoupled to the stepping coil.

Thus referring to the central portion of the schematic diagram, thelight source 140 is in the form of a high intensity lamp connectedacross the low voltage AC lines 115, 116. The photocell 143 is connectedacross low voltage DC lines 118, 119 in series with a relay 150 having anormally open contact 150-1 in series with the stepping coil and anormally closed contact 150-2. lnitially, when the collator has beenturned on, lighting the lamp 140, but before any copies start to flow,the beam of light 141 striking the photocell 143 energizes the relay150, closing the contact 150-1. No current flows to the stepping coil,however, because of the necessity to close the normally open contactwhich is in series with it, and to which reference will shortly be made.

In accordance with one of the features of the present invention, aseries-responsive sensing means is provided which enables the steppingswitch to perform its commutating function as long as copy sheets arriveat the inlet opening in a closely and evenly spaced series; however,when there is a hiatus in the series of sheets, indicative that a changehas been made in the original document in the photocopy machine, thesensing means disables the stepper switch by cutting off the voltage toit and, at the same time, energizes a reset line which causes thestepper switch to be reset to an initial reference condition. Morespecifically in accordance with the invention the sensor means includesa seriesresponsive timer having a reset line which is successivelyenergized by the incoming copies so that the timer is constantly resetas long as the copies continue to flow in a closely spaced series; butwhen the timer times out, due to a hiatus in the received copies, thestepping switch is placed in the reset mode. Thus, referring to the topportion of the circuit diagram, an input sensing switch 155 is providedwhich is physically located close to the inlet opening 41 and in aposition to be closed by the successively received copy sheets. Thissensing switch controls a timer 160, which is representative of thetimers employed in the present circuit and which is shown in greaterdetail in FIG. M. It will be noted that the timer has main terminals161, 162 and a reset line 163. The latter serves to energize a delay 164having a normally open contact 165 which is in series with terminals161, 162. The relay contact is coupled to a time delay device 166 which,as indicated by the legend, provides time delay on drop-out. Inoperation, application of voltage to the relay coil 164 by the normallyopen sensor contact 155, or equivalent, immediately closes, or "resets"the contact 165. However, when the sensor contact opens, the relaycontact 165 does not immediately drop out; instead, there is a timedelay on drop-out which is of a fixed but adjustable amount. In the caseof the timer 160 the delay on dropout is on the order of 3 seconds. Thedetails of the delay device 166 have, for the sake of simplicity, beenintentionally omitted since such details are not part of the presentinvention and since commercial relays are available capable of makingimmediate contact upon energization but providing the desired fixed timedelay on drop-out.

Connected in series with the timer 160, and controlled by it, is a relay170 having a normally open contact 170-1 and a normally closed contact170-2. The normally open contact is in series with the stepping coil andthe normally closed contact is in series with a reset coil 171 which iscapable of releasing the keeper pawl 136 on the stepper switch. Theratchet wheel 131 of the stepper switch is biased by a torsion spring172 to the reference starting position against a stop 173.

Thus when the first copy sheet of a series enters the inlet opening 41closing sensor switch 155, the reset line 163 of the timer is energized,turning on relay 170. This closes the contact -1, completing a circuitto the stepping coil 135 through contact 150-1 which, as previouslynoted, is closed by reason of the light striking photocell 143. Thus thestepping coil 135 is pulsed, advancing the ratchet wheel forwardly onestep against the restoring force of the spring 172 so that the wiper 137engages the first one of the step contacts 138 connected to the firstone of the deflector solenoids 107. Such solenoid rotates the deflector101 around into deflecting position illustrated in FIG. so that thefirst copy sheet of the series engages the first lip 91 and is depositedin the first tray 81 (see FIG. 3). It is true that when the first sheetleaves the sensing switch 155, the opening of the switch causes thetimer 160 to begin to time. However, since the timer is set for aninterval on the order of two or three seconds, the timer does not timeout, and closure of the switch 155 by the leading edge of the secondsheet immediately resets the timer to its start position so that thecontact 170-1 remains closed. Consequently, when the first sheet breaksthe light beam as it passes into the first tray, the photocell relay 150is momentarily deenergized, pulsing the contact 150 open and then closedagain, thereby pulsing the stepping coil 135 and advancing the steppingswitch to the next, or second, contact. This deenergizes the firstdeflector 101 (FIG. 5) and energizes the next, or second, deflector 102so that the second sheet upon arrival is promptly diverted into thesecond tray.

This process is repeated for each copy sheet in the closely spacedseries, the timer 160 being repeatedly reset by the arrival ofsuccessive sheets so that it does not, during the series, haveopportunity to time out.

However, after a predetermined number of copies have been made,depending upon the setting at the photocopy machine, the closely spacedseries comes to an end and there is a hiatus of several seconds becauseof the time that it takes to switch original documents in the photocopymachine. It may be assumed in a practical case that this requires morethan three seconds. As a result, the sensor switch 155 is not actuatedsoon enough to reset the timer 160 before it times out, deenergizingrelay 170 and closing contact 170-2. This energizes the reset coil 171,freeing the pawl 136, so that the ratchet wheel returns to itsbeginning, or reference, position. Opening .of contact 170-1 isolatesthe stepping switch' from the righthand supply line so that thedeflectors are not energized in reverse order during the return swing ofthe wiper.

When, after a period of three seconds, a new series of photocopy sheetsbegins to be fed into the inlet of the collator, the sensor switch 155resets the timer, turning on relay 170 which closes contact 170-1. Thisprovides an initial conditioning impulse to the stepping coil 135 sothat the wiper 137 is stepped from its reference position to its firstcontact position, energizing the deflector 101 which is then inreadiness to divert the first copy into the first tray. When thishappens the light beam is momentarily broken, impulsing the steppingcoil which then turns off the first deflector and turns on the second,this process being repeated for all of the copy sheets in the series,until this series, too, comes to an end, causing the timer 160 to dropout to reset the stepper for a third series, and so on.

As has been noted, the stepping switch, acting as a commutator, does notrequire any instruction from the operator. It takes its instruction, toreset, only from the hiatus which exists between successive series ofcopy sheets.

One of the most common causes of malfunction in a collator is thefailure of each sheet to pass fully into the tray which is to receiveit. When this happens the succeeding copies frequently get hung up onthe errant copy. it is one of the features of the present device thatthe same light beam which is employed for commutation is used to insurethat each copy passes immediately and completely into a receiving tray.Thus means are provided for measuring the period that the beam is cutoff by a copy and for shutting down the machine if such period ofcut-off is more than momentary. More specifically, a timer is employedhaving a short time out period, on the order of two seconds or less,which is periodically reset by restoration of the beam, but with lack ofrestoration for the two-second period being interpreted as an incipientjam. Thus a relay 175 is provided connected in series with the normallyclosed contact -2 which is opened by the light beam. The relay controlsa normally closed contact -1 and a normally open sealing contact 175-2,to which reference will be later made. Under the control of the contact175-1 is a two-second tray traverse timer having terminals 181, 182 anda reset line 183, the contact 175-1 being in series with the reset line.A relay 185, connected to the timer 180, has normally open contact 185-1in series with the conveyor drive, a normally closed contact 185-2, upontiming out of the tray traverse timer, completes a connection to the"off" circuit of the photocopy machine, indicated diagrammatically at186. The nature of the connection 186 will, of course, depend upon thespecific photocopy machine with which the collator is used. Theconnection 186 may, for example, consist of a relay having a normallyclosed contact which is in series with a normally maintained holdingcircuit in the photocopy machine, in which case energization of therelay by interrupting the holding circuit will serve to turn thephotocopy machine off. This is a matter well within the skill of theart.

The companion, normally open, contact 185-3 accomplishes, by itsopening, an analogous result, namely, the deenergization of the diverterin the photocopy machine so that any copies which are in process" in thephotocopy machine are diverted into the auxiliary collector tray 30,previously referred to, rather than continuing to flow into thecollator. It will be understood that during normal operation the contact185-3 associated with the tray traverse timer 180 will be closed, thuscompleting a circuit to the diverter, so that the diverter (FIG. 4) isenergized to direct copies out of the photocopy machine outlet opening23. An incipient jam at the collator tray both turns off the collatorconveyor and prevents flow of any further copies to the conveyor. Thiswill be made clear upon considering a typical sequence of operation:

Under normal circumstances, with copy sheets flowing promptly into theirrespective trays, the light beam will be interrupted only momentarily.That is to say the light beam contact 150-2, which is normally held openby the presence of the beam, will be closed momentarily thus energizingthe relay 175 momentarily and momentarily opening its contact 175-1. Inother words, during normal operation, contact 175-1 in the reset line ofthe timer 180 is closed almost all of the time, being openedperiodically only for a brief interval which is substantially less thantwo seconds, so that the timer 180 never has opportunity to time out.However, in the case that a copy sheet does not pass completely into atray with the required promptness, the light-responsive contact 150-2remains closed and its associated relay 175 remains energized for alonger period of time, thereby holding open the reset contact 175-1 fora period which exceeds the two-second time out period of the timer,causing deenergization of the timer relay 185 to signal that anincipient jamming condition exists. Three separate effects are produced.In the first place the contact 185-1 in series with the conveyor drivemotor 64 and vacuum pump motor 67 opens so that no further copies areconveyed. Secondly, closing of the contact 185-2 completes a circuit tothe device 186, thereby to turn off the photocopy machine so that nofurther copies are produced. However, in a conventional photocopymachine having a conveyor, the conveyor continues to run for a fewadditional seconds to clear from the conveyor any copy sheets which arein the pipeline". In order to insure that such residual copy sheets arenot fed into the collator, drop out of the contact 185-3 serves todisable the diverter 27 in the photocopy machine so that such residualcopies are deposited in the auxiliary collector tray 30.

Thus with both the collator and photocopy machine fully shut down, theoffending copy or copies at the lip of the tray may be removed.

In accordance with one of the features of the invention means areprovided for making the tray assembly movable between an operatingposition in which the lips of the trays are closely adjacent theconveyor and a retracted position in which there is several inches ofseparation to provide easy access. As shown in FIG. 3 the tray assembly80 is not fixedly mounted within the housing but is, instead, mountedupon a set of rollers supported on a bracket 190, the rollers beingindicated at 191, 192. Access may be provided to the housing by hingingthe entire front wall of the collator housing.

It may be noted that while the conveyor is stopped by reason of theincipient jamming condition, the power supplies 114, 117 continue to beenergized. Thus when the offending sheet is removed, the light beam willbe immediately reestablished. In order to prevent this from restartingthe conveyor prematurely, a latching circuit is provided to keep relay175 energized which, in turn, keeps the reset contact 175-1 open so thatthe timer 180 is not reset. The latching circuit is connected inparallel with the photocopy shut-off device 186 via a diode 194. Thuseven though the light responsive contact 150-2 may open, the circuitthrough the diode and sealing contact 175-2 keeps the relay 175 in theenergized state to prevent the timer from resetting. Prior to describingthe start-up procedure, following an incipient jam, reference will bemade to a further means, provided in the collator, for detecting, andresponding to, an incipient jamming condition.

Thus in accordance with the present invention sensors are provided alongthe conveyance path, with the sensor-to-sensor spacing being the same asthe spacing between the gaps which separate the adjacent copies in aseries. For present purposes the gap spacing may be considered as thedistance from the center of one gap to the center of the next, thedistance being indicated at S in FIG. 9. This figure shows the U-shapedconveyor path in diagrammatic "developed" form in which the path isconsidered to be straight rather than curved. In this figure thesensors, shown at 201-204 inclusive will be considered to consist ofsensitive switches of the normally open type and capable of beingthrown" to the closed condition upon engagement by a passing sheet. Thecopy sheets are indicated at C, C evenly spaced to define gaps G betweenthem which, in a practiced case, may be on the order of 4 inches. Inpracticing the invention, by spacing the sensors at the same spacing asthe gaps, all of the sensors respond simultaneously to the presence ofgaps during normal flow of a series of copy sheets. Means, including atimer, are provided for detecting any failure of all of the sensors toperiodically respond to the presence of respective gaps. Morespecifically in accordance with the invention, simultaneously responseof all of the sensors to the passage of respective gaps is utilized toperiodically reset a timer. Upon failure of the sensors to respondsimultaneously, the timer times out, placing the circuit in a shut downmode as discussed above in connection with the action of the light beam.

In the present collator using a total of four sensors 201-204, thesensor 201 is located right at the entry way adjacent the sensorpreviously referred to. The sensor 202 is positioned at the bottom ofthe conveyor assembly, adjacent the turn-around 52. The sensor 203 ispositioned approximately half way up the conveyor on the tray side 53and, finally, the sensor 204 is positioned at the end of the conveyor atthe top of the tray assembly.

It would have been possible, in carrying out the invention, to place afurther sensor midway between the sensors 201, 202 which would, indeed,have completed the pattern. However, because of the reliability of theillustrated conveyor there is very little likelihood that thetransported sheets will get out of time between the sensors 201, 202.Moreover, it is one of the features of the present invention that whilethe sensors are spaced at gap spacing, it is not essential to have asensor at each gap position. Consequently, the term gap spacing" orreference spacing" as used herein shall be understood to mean thedistance S illustrated in FIG. 9 or any integral low order multiplethereof. One advantage of using the present gap sensing arrangement isthat a sensor responds to the same degree to nothing" as it does to anactual gap between adjacent copies. Thus the system is effectiveregardless of whether the conveyance path is fully, or only partially,occupied with copies. Indeed, the system permits use of a gap sensor 204which, while forming an integrated part of the sensing system, will notsense any actual inter-sheet gaps until such time as overflow occurs.

We have found that the simplest mode of practicing the invention is toconnect all of the normally open sensor switches 201-204 in parallelwith one another, with the paralleled circuit being employed to controla relay having a normally closed contact in the reset line of a shortperiod timer, conveniently referred to as a gap-responsive" timer. Thuswe provide a relay 205 having a normally closed contact 205-1 and anormally open contact 205-2 which is used for sealing purposes. Thenormally closed contact controls a timer 210 having terminals 211, 212and a reset line 213, the contact being in series with the reset line.The timer controls a relay 215 having a normally open contact 215-1, anormally closed contact 215-2 and a normally open contact 215-3. Byreason of these three contacts the same three shut-down functions areperformed as discussed above. That is, drop-out of the relay 215deenergizes the collator, turns off the photocopy machine and drops outthe diverter 27 in the photocopy machine so that any residual copies aredeposited in the auxiliary collector tray.

Such operation will be apparent upon considering a typical sequence. Innormal operation, all of the sensor switches will, because of theirspacing, respond at the same instant, momentarily dropping out the relay205 and momentarily opening the reset contact 201-5. Such contact will,however, be closed again sufficiently 1 I promptly to reset the timer210 which may, for example, be adjusted for a 2 to 3 second time-out.Thus the relay 215 will continue to be energized to maintain thecollator in operation.

However, in the event of overlapping copy sheets in the conveyance path,or in the event a copy sheet gets out of time because of slippage or thelike, all of the sensors 201-204 will not respond at the same instant.Failure of simultaneous response, because of the parallel connection,maintains the relay 205 energized and causes the contact 205-1 to remainopen. As a misplaced copy sheet proceeds along the conveyance path, itwill not only affect one of the sensors but it will affect successivesensors so that the contact 205-1 will remain open for a period which issufficiently long to cause time-out of the timer 210 and drop-out of therelay 215. Opening of the contact 215-1 shuts off the conveyor motor andthe vacuum pump motor. Closure of contact 215-2 sends a shut down signalto the photocopy machine, and opening of contact 215-3 drops out thediverter 28 in the photocopy machine so that residual copies are safelydisposed of.

After clearing such incipient jamming condition, all of the contacts201-204 will be in open condition. To prevent premature energization ofthe machine, sealing voltage is applied via a diode 216, which isconnected in parallel with the device 186, to relay 205, the sealingcontact 205-2 of such relay being closed, so that the relay 205 is heldin notwithstanding the clearing of the offending sheet or sheets,thereby disabling the timer 210 until such time as the collator isintentionally restarted.

It will be seen, then, that the collator responds promptly to anincipient jamming condition in the only two regions where jamming canoccur, either along the conveyance path or at the lips of the respectivetrays. [t is to be particularly noted that the collator does not waitfor a jam to occur before shutting itself down since this would, in mostcases, be too late, but it responds, instead, to incipient conditionsand with sufficient promptness so that there is no possibility of pileup of sheets anywhere within the machine.

It is one of the further features of the invention that the collatorturns itself off if it remains unused for periods in excess of a minute.More specifically in accordance with the invention, two timers areemployed for shut off, a 52 second shut-off" timer and an eightsecond"clearance" timer which are effectively connected in series with oneanother to provide a total delay of 60 seconds. For intentionalshut-off, an off" push button is effectively interposed between the twotimers to provide an 8-second delay sufficient for clearing any copiesfrom the conveyor before the machine finally shuts itself off.

The sensor 220 which is utilized for shut off purposes is mounted at theinlet (FIG. 3) and controls a normally open contact 221 and anassociated normally closed contact 222. The contact 221 controls a timer230 having terminals 231, 232 and a reset line 233, the contact beingarranged in series with the reset line. A relay 235 is connected to theoutput terminal 232 of the timer, serving to control a normally opencontact 235-1 as well as normally open and normally closed contacts235-2 and 235-3. The latter are connected in series with on" and offindicator lamps 236, 237 respectively.

For the purpose of coupling the timer 230 to the second timer for sheetclearance purposes, the relay 12 235 has a normally open contact 235-4.The latter controls a clearance timer 240 having terminals 241, 242 anda reset line 243. The output terminal of the timer is connected to arelay 245 having a normally open contact 245-1.

In operation, then, the two timers 230, 240 will be assumed to be bothturned on, and, as long as a copy sheet is received within a 52 secondinterval, the sensor control 221 closes, resetting the timer 230, sothat both it and the associated timer 240 remain turned on.

However, in the event that the machine is left unattended or if, for anyreason, no sheet enters the collator for a period of time in excess offifty-two seconds, the sensor contact 221 will remain open longer thanthe period of the timer 230 so that the timer will time itself out,deenergizing the relay 235 and opening the contact 235-4 in the resetline of the timer 240. Eight seconds later such timer will time itselfout dropping out the relay 245 and opening contact 245-1. With bothcontacts 235-1 and 245-1 open, the low voltage AC and DC power supplieswill be deenergized. in carrying out the invention deenergization of theDC power supply is caused to turn off the conveyor drive and vacuum pumpmotor. This is accomplished by a relay 250 which is placed across theoutput of the DC power supply, as shown, and which controls a normallyopen contact 250-l in series with the conveyor drive motor.Consequently, the conveyor drive motor is, by reason of the opening ofcontact 245-1, and via the relay 250, turned off.

The interposition of the intentional off" switch between the two timerswill be made clear by considering the off push button 255 having anormally open contact 255-1 which is connected in series with a relay256 having a normally closed contact 256-1 and a normally open sealingcontact 256-2. The normally closed contact 256-1 is so connected as tofunctionally bypass the shut-off timer 230. Such bypassing is broughtabout by connecting the normally closed contact 256-1 in series with thetimer terminal 231.

Thus assuming that the machine is in normal operation, with the conveyorrunning, and that it is desired to turn it off, the push button 255 isdepressed closing the contact 255-1 and energizing the relay 256 whichimmediately seals itself in through contact 256-2 so that the pushbutton may be promptly released. Energization of the relay 256 openscontact 256-1, thereby opening the output circuit of the shut-off timer230 to drop out the relay 235. The latter opens contact 235-l, but thishas no effect since the contact 245-1 in parallel therewith is stillclosed. Opening of contact 235-2 extinguishes the on lamp 236 whileclosure of contact 235-3 lights the "off" lamp 237. The opening ofcontact 235-4 causes the eight second timer 240 to time and, eightseconds later, relay 245 drops out, opening contact 245-1, turning offthe AC and DC low voltage supplies, and, through relay 250, also turningoff the conveyor drive and vacuum. The final eight second time delayprovides adequate time for discharge into the receiving trays of anycopies which may be in transit.

It is one of the more detailed features of the present invention thatthe same timer circuit which is employed for automatic shut off isutilized in putting the collator into operation. Thus an on" push button257 is provided having a normally open contact 257-l, a second normallyopen contact 257-2 and a normally closed contact 257-3. The normallyopen contact 257-1 is effectively connected in parallel with the inletsensor contact 221. The contact 257-2 serves to turn on the low voltageAC and DC power supplies.

Having understood the manner in which the various portions of thecircuit carry out their intended functions, the highly integrated natureof the control circuit will be apparent by considering in brief andsummary form a complete cycley beginning with operation of the on pushbutton 257. Before such push button is pressed, but with the power plug110 plugged in, the transformer 113 will operate idly but all of theother components will be deenergized with all contacts in the conditionsshown.

Pressing the push button 257 closes contacts 257-1 and 257-2. Closure ofthe latter energizes the two low voltage power supplies. The resultingenergization of relay 250 closes contact 250-1. Closure of contact 257-1resets (initiates) the 52 second timer 230 energizing relay 235. Thiscloses contacts 235-1 and 235-2, with the latter serving to turn on the"on lamp 236. Moreover, closure of contact 235-4 energizes theeightsecond timer 240 which turns on relay 245, closing contact 245-1,which closure is, however, redundant.

Since, initially, timer 160 is in the oft condition, the relay 170 whichit controls is deenergized so a circuit is completed, through contact170-2, to the reset coil 171 of the stepping switch, thereby insuringthat the latter is restored to its reference starting condition.

Since the AC power supply 114 is energized, the lamp 140, which isconnected across it, is lit to create a pencil of light through the lipsof the trays. Such light, striking the photocell 143, turns on theassociated relay 150, closing contact 150-1 and opening contact 150-2,but operation of such contacts is idle since contact 170-1, in seriestherewith, is in open condition. However, it is to be noted that thisdoes not prevent the tray traverse timer 180 from being energized, suchtimer being turned on by reason of the normally closed contact 175-1.The latter energizes relay 185 which closes contact 185-1, so that twocontacts in series with the conveyor drive motor are now closed, with athird awaiting closure. Since there is no copy sheet in the system, allof the spaced sensors 201-204 are open so that relay 205 connectedthereto is in the deenergized state with contact 205-1 thereon beingclosed. As a result the gap responsive timer 210 is turned onimmediately when the DC power supply is energized, thereby energizingthe relay 215 and closing contact 215-1. This completes a circuit to theconveyor drive motor 64 and vacuum pump motor 67 so that the conveyorbegins to move at normal speed and with vacuum in readiness.

Energization of the relay 215 has the further efi'ect of closing contact215-3 so that the diverter 27 in the photocopy machine (FIG. 4)isenergized so that any copies produced by the machine are directed outof the discharge opening 23, rather than into the auxiliary tray 30.

Nothing further occurs until such time as the associated photocopymachine is put into operation to produce copy sheets in a closely andevenly spaced series.

The first copy sheet arriving at the entry way 41 promptly closessensors 155, 201 and 220.

Closure of sensor 155 turns on the series-responsive timer 160,energizing the associated relay 170 and closing contact 170-1. Sincecontact 150-1 is at this time closed by reason of existence of the lightbeam,

14 the effect is to apply current to the stepping coil so that thestepping switch is advanced one step, making contact with the first ofthe step contacts to energize the first solenoid winding 107 to placethe first deflector 101 in its deflecting position in readiness forreceipt of the first sheet at the first tray.

At the same time, closure of the sensor switch 201 complete a circuit tothe associated relay 205, opening the normally closed contact 205-1 inthe reset line of the gap responsive timer 210 so that the timer startsits timing function.

Before the timer 210 can time out (which requires 3 seconds) the sensorswitch 201 drops into the gap following the first sheet. This drops outthe associated relay 205, momentarily closing the contact 205-1, andresetting the timer 210.

Moreover, arrival of the leading edge of the second sheet at the sensorcauses the timer to be reset before it has had an opportunity to timeout. Thus the timers 210 and 160 are constantly reset, the former by thegaps between the successive copy sheets and the latter by the leadingedges of the successive copy sheets. Thus the conveyor transports aseries of evenly spaced copy sheets along its downside 51, around thetum-around 52 and up the tray side 53.

When the leading edge of the first copy sheet strikes the first diverter(FIG. 5) the sheet is cammed away from the transport belts and into thefirst tray 81. This breaks the light beam causing the photocell 143 todeenergize the associated relay 150 which drops out to close the contact150-2, thereby energizing the associated relay to open contact 175-1 inthe reset line of timer so that the timer begins its timing function.However, provided that the sheet promptly clears the light beam, thephotocell turns on its relay 150, reopening contact 150-2 which permitsthe relay 175 to drop out, so that the timer 180 is promptly reset andis thus ineffective.

As stated, breakage of the light beam by the first sheet, and itssubsequent restoration, causes momentary opening of the contact 150-1which is in series with the stepping coil so that the coil is pulsed toadvance the stepping switch from the first contact to the second,restoring the first deflector 101 to its idle position and actuating thesecond deflector 102, so that the next sheet on the conveyor, which isthe second sheet, is promptly deposited in the second tray.

Such sequence continues, with each copy sheet, by brekage of the lightbeam, serving to index the stepper switch so that corresponding copysheets are deposited, one by one, in quick succession in correspondingtrays.

During normal flow of the copy sheets, the spaced sensor switches201-204 are periodically and simultaneously opened by the gaps betweenthe sheets so that the gap responsive timer 210 is constantly resetbefore it can time out. Thus the copy sheets are commutated torespective trays until there is a hiatus in the series. Such hiatus isdetected by failure of the sensor switch 155 to reclose within a periodof three seconds. Such failure, by timing out of timer 160 andenergization of relay 170, causes the stepping switch to be reset to itsreference starting condition so that when the next copy sheet arrives itis directed to the first tray, and the commutation process is repeated.

Failure of any copy sheet to enter its prescribed tray promptly, bybreakage of the light beam for more than the permitted amount of time,causes the reset line of the tray traverse timer 180 to be held in opencondition until the timer times out, thereby dropping out the relay 185to put the circuit in the shut down mode, resulting in stopping of theconveyor, turning off of the associated photocopy machine, and diversionof any residual copies therein into the auxiliary tray 30.

Similarly, in the event of any overlap or other mistiming of the gapsbetween adjacent sheets, the spaced sensor switches 201404 will not opensimultaneously and periodically so that the relay 205 will continue tobe energized and the contact 205-1 thereof, which is in the reset lineof timer 210, will remain open beyond the interval of time-out of thetimer 210, causing the latter to drop out the relay 215, which is alsoeffective to put the circuit in the shut down mode.

Assuming normal operation, failure of the sensor 220 to be actuated fora period of 52 seconds, as previously discussed, causes timing out ofthe shut down timer 230 and the eight second, or clearance, timer 240for automatic shut-down when the machine is unused or unattended.

Finally, the machine is turned off during normal operation by pressingthe off" push button 255 which, by overriding the 52 second timer,starts the timing function of the 8-second timer with the result thatany copies in transit are deposited in successive trays followed by shutdown of the machine.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferredembodiment, reasonable changes may be made without departing from theinvention. For example, although an electro-mechanical stepping switchhas been disclosed to facilitate understanding the operation, it will beunderstood that a commutating device of the solid state type, andcapable of reset, may quite readily be substituted. Also while we preferto use simple, normally-open gap sensor switches at reference spacing,normally closed switches might be substituted, changing the circuit fromparallel to series and with use of an inverting relay. Indeed, theillustrated switch type sensors may be replaced by a light beam andphoto cell with mirrors arranged so as to cause the light beam totraverse the sheet path at positions which are spaced at the referencespacing. This would make it unnecessary for the sheets to do the work ofswitching which would be particularly useful when making copies on thinpaper stock.

While the collator of present design is intended to be constructed as aunit for coupling to a photocopy machine, with the outlet of oneregistered with the inlet of the other, it will be understood that thetwo machines may, if desired, be integrated within the same housing, inwhich case the path may be continuous and the two openings" may beconsidered to be at any point along the transfer path.

lt is convenient to construct the device as illustrated, with anelongated U-shaped conveyance path since this permits acceptance of copysheets at a point near the top surface of a photocopy machine andpermits commutated upward distribution to vertically stacked trays. Itwill be apparent, however, that the invention in certain of its aspectsis not limited to this vertical" arrangement and that the term vertical"as used herein is intended to be interpreted in a relative fashion. Whenthe invention is used with other than vertically stacked trays,corresponding changes will be required in the shape of the conveyancepath.

What is claimed is:

1. In a collator intended for close coupling into an office photocopymachine having means for delivery of multiple copies of an originaldocument in a closely and evenly spaced series comprising, incombination, a frame, a tray assembly formed of a stacked tier of traysand set of commutated deflectors for deflecting copy sheets into therespective trays in sequence, a driven copy sheet conveyor for receivingcopies from the photocopy machine and for conveying them to the trayassembly along an extended conveyance path in an evenly spaced seriesdefining gaps between adjacent copy sheets and with the gaps having areference spacing, a set of gap sensors arranged along the conveyancepath for sensing the gaps, the sensors being spaced at reference spacingso that periodically all of the sensors will have momentary simultaneousresponse to presence of respective gaps thereby to indicate that thecopy sheets are all being normally conveyed, and means triggered byfailure of any gap sensor to have periodic response simultaneously withthe other sensors for automatically shutting down the conveyor, thesensors being in the form of switches which are momentarily opened uponpassage of gaps between adjacent sheets and in which all of the switchesare connected in parallel, circuit means responsive to failure of theparallel connected circuit to periodically open for producing an outputsignal, and means responsive to the output signal for shutting down theconveyor.

2. A collator intended for close coupling to an office photocopy machinehaving means for delivering multiple copies of an original document in aclosely and evenly spaced series comprising, in combination, a housinghaving an inlet for registering with an outlet on the photocopy machine,a tray assembly formed of a stacked tier of trays with alined entrancelips, a copy sheet conveyor for conveying copies in a closely spacedseries from the inlet of the collator along a conveyor path closelyadjacent the lips of the trays, deflectors at the lips of respectivetrays and capable upon actuation of diverting an approaching copy sheetinto the associated tray, means for commutating the deflectors so thatsuccessive copies are deposited in successive trays starting with thefirst, an automatic shut-off timer having a time delay on the generalorder of 52 seconds and having a reset line, a clearance timer having atime delay on the order of 8 seconds and having a reset line, the twotimers being efi'ectively connected in series with one another so thattiming out of the shut-off timer initiates timing in the clearancetimber, means controlled by timing out of the clearance timer forturning off the conveyor, a sensor adjacent the inlet and connected tothe reset line of the shut-ofi' timer for sensing arrival of a copysheet at the inlet so that the shut-off timer is ineffective as long asthe period of adjacent copy sheets is less than the time delay for whichit is set, but with a period of greater duration serving to initiatetiming by the clearance timer so that upon passage of an additionaleight seconds the conveyor is turned off, and means including a manualoff control effectively interposed between the shut-off timer and theclearance timer for directly initiating timing by the clear,- ance timerso that the conveyor is turned off approximately 8 seconds afterpressing of the off control thereby to insure that any copies beingconveyed within the collator by the conveyor have an opportunity toclear the conveyor before the latter stops its motion.

t i 1 i i

1. In a collator intended for close coupling into an office photocopymachine having means for delivery of multiple copies of an originaldocument in a closely and evenly spaced series comprising, incombination, a frame, a tray assembly formed of a stacked tier of traysand set of commutated deflectors for deflecting copy sheets into therespective trays in sequence, a driven copy sheet conveyor for receivingcopies from the photocopy machine and for conveying them to the trayassembly along an extended conveyance path in an evenly spaced seriesdefining gaps between adjacent copy sheets and with the gaps having areference spacing, a set of gap sensors arranged along the conveyancepath for sensing the gaps, the sensors being spaced at reference spacingso that periodically all of the sensors will have momentary simultaneousresponse to presence of respective gaps thereby to indicate that thecopy sheets are all being normally conveyed, and means triggered byfailure of any gap sensor to have periodic response simultaneously withthe other sensors for automatically shutting down the conveyor, thesensors being in the form of switches which are momentarily opened uponpassage of gaps between adjacent sheets and in which all of the switchesare connected in parallel, circuit means responsive to failure of theparallel connected circuit to periodically open for producing an outputsignal, and means responsive to the output signal for shutting down theconveyor.
 2. A collator intended for close coupling to an officephotocopy machine having means for delivering multiple copies of anoriginal document in a closely and evenly spaced series comprising, incombination, a housing having an inlet for registering with an outlet onthe photocopy machine, a tray assembly formed of a stacked tier of trayswith alined entrance lips, a copy sheet conveyor for conveying copies ina closely spaced series from the inlet of the collator along a conveyorpath closely adjacent the lips of the trays, deflectors at the lips ofrespective trays and capable upon actuation of diverting an approachingcopy sheet into the associated tray, means for commutating thedeflectors so that successive copies are deposited in successive traysstarting with the first, an automatic shut-off timer having a time delayon the general order of 52 seconds and having a reset line, a clearancetimer having a time delay on the order of 8 seconds and having a resetline, the two timers being effectively connected in series with oneanother so that timing out of the shut-off timer initiates timing in theclearance timber, means controlled by timing out of the clearance timerfor turning off the conveyor, a sensor adjacent the inlet and connectedto the reset line of the shut-off timer for sensing arrival of a copysheet at the inlet so that the shut-off timer is ineffective as long asthe period of adjacent copy sheets is less than the time delay for whichit is set, but with a period of greater duration serving to initiatetiming by the clearance timer so that upon passage of an additionaleight seconds the conveyor is turned off, and means including a manual''''off'''' control effectively interposed between the shut-off timerand the clearance timer for directly initiating timing by the clearancetimer so that the conveyor is turned off approximately 8 seconds afterpressing of the ''''off'''' control thereby to insure that any copiesbeing conveyed within the collator by the conveyor have an opportunityto clear the conveyor before the latter stops its motion.